International broadcast campaign addresses violence against women

Montreal, December 13, 2010. Reinforced by the exchanges at the AMARC 10 World Conference, the Women International Network of the Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC-WIN) celebrated the 16 days of activism against gender violence with an international campaign broadcast from November 25 to December 10, 2010. As indicated in La Plata Declaration, “Community radios express their solidarity and denounce all forms of sexual and gender violence, from domestic violence to armed conflict.” Visit: www.amarc.org/16jours . The campaign was broadcast by local community radios and networks and on the Internet in several languages and in all continents. The AMARC-WIN 16 Days Campaign highlighted activities, groups and individuals who are committed to denounce and fight against gender violence and to encourage each and everyone in their various capacities to act to eliminate it.

The 16 days of activism against gender violence began November 25 with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, followed November 29 with the international day of women human rights defenders, the December 1: World AIDS Day, December 6 the commemoration of the Montreal (Canada) massacre in 1989 and ended December 10, International Day of human rights, with the celebration of the 62th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Throughout these 16 days the Women’s International Network of AMARC broadcast radio productions and activities on the Internet.

Community radio producers from Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America and Latin America and the Caribbean highlighted and supported during those 16 days the efforts of women and men working to end violence against women. Radio programs include documentaries, interviews, reports, advertisements, music and much more. This multilingual broadcast campaign mobilized community radios around the world and encouraged them to use new communication technologies such as the Internet. We encourage you to listen to the broadcasts, to download and broadcast them to promote the struggle against gender violence. To access the archives please go to the following address: www.amarc.org/16jours

The AMARC Women’s International Network is a large assembly of women communicators working to ensure women’s right to communicate through and within the community radio movement. AMARC is an international non-governmental organization serving the community radio movement, and linking more than 4,000 community radios in over 115 countries. AMARC aims to support, defend and promote the interests of community broadcasters through solidarity and international cooperation. For further info http://www.amarc.org